The Princes of Asgard
by Dragonhardt
Summary: Story about Thor and Loki as children. Drabble in first chapter but..oh well! Please review! Will take suggestions!
1. Chapter 1

**Heyyyy! Just a cute story about Thor and Loki's mischievous schemes. Thor is 11 here and Loki is 9. Review if you like it! Enjoy!**

"Thor! Let me go!" Loki gasped.

"Haha! I win! As I always do!" Thor boasted with a smile plastered on his cherub face. Loki sighed and jumped up, dusting his green tunic. Wrestling was not his thing. He was a sorcerer, not a mindless brute.

"Thor, pride comes before the fall!" Loki remarked as he conjured a levitation spell, lifting Thor high above the ground. He shouted, his little voice amplified as it echoed across the empty arena.

"Loki! Put me down!" Thor shrieked, angry and terrified. Loki just smirked.

"If you say so..."

"Oh no! Lokiiiiiii!"

"Thooooor!" Loki mimicked with mock worry on his pale face. He lifted the spell and watched Thor plummet to the ground, screaming like a girl. Loki giggled and stopped Thor just before he reached the ground. For a second, Thor was suspended, then fell face first into the ground. Still on the ground, Thor clenched his fists and growled. Loki innocently giggled and went to help Thor up. Thor refused.

"Thor, it _was _just a game, I mean, you should not be so boastful! You needed to learn your lesson-"

"Be quiet! Know your place, brother!" Thor shouted as he stormed out of the arena in a fit of rage. The comment was like a dagger in Loki's belly. Loki was sensitive and words hurt him the most. Loki just stood in the arena, trying to process the sudden occurring events in his mind. But he could not shake Thor's hurtful comment out of his mind. It wasn't the first time Thor hard mindlessly blurted it into Loki's face. He had obviously heard Odin, their father, shout it to his servants. Loki sighed. He felt his eyes start to sting. Feeling hurt, Loki ran back to the palace, tears clouding his vision. It was a gloomy day in Asgard, threatening rainclouds hung in the sky, darkening everyone's day. However, the Palace of Asgard still shone brightly.

Loki Pushed open the door at the second, smaller entrance and ran up the stairs. He knew where he wanted to go. Guards lazily observed him but Loki took no notice of them, as per usual. When he found the door he knocked politely.

"Come in,"

Loki loved her voice, it was like silk, so soft and caring. He pushed open the door and ran to his mother, Frigga, who was sitting on a chair, reading. She looked up and embraced the upset boy.

"Come Loki, sit." Loki sat on the large bed with his mother, sniffling. Frigga passed him a tissue. He took it and wiped his face.

"Loki, what happened?" She asked as she put her arm around her son. Loki leaned into her.

"It was Thor. He- he-" Loki broke out again in tears and clutched his mother's soft hand. When he calmed down he told her about the incident. Frigga nodded and soothed Loki with her voice.

"Listen Loki, Thor can sometimes have a harsh temper. He is who he is. Just take his nasty comments with a pinch of salt and remember, you are not second to Thor,or anyone, never forget that, no matter what anyone says, okay?"

Loki looked up to her with big, green watery eyes. He nodded and smiled a little.

"Thank you, mother," Loki smiled. Frigga kissed Loki on his forehead. Loki looked up and ran out, shouting "Bye!" As he left.

"Be careful!" Frigga sighed. She soon went back to her book. That boy. Sad none minute and excited the next.

Loki knew what he had to do. He wasn't called the Prince of Pranks for nothing.

Revenge is a dish, best served cold...

**Ehehehehe! Cliff hanger. It was going to be a Oneshot but.. Meh! Oh well! Review if you want! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Back for more. Chapter two! I enjoyed writing it and I hope you enjoy reading it. Reviews are appreciated. Will take suggestions!**

Chapter Two

Thor had forgotten about the incident that occurred the other day. Loki hadn't. But on this sunny day the boys were playing and laughing like brothers should. The battlefield was empty, as it has been for hundreds of years. Thor and Loki decided it would make a great playground. So they played a long game of tag and after about five minutes they became tired, so they sat on the grass. It wasn't before long when Thor became restless.

"Let's play another game!" He said eagerly, sitting up and picking on some grass.

"Do we have to?" Loki moaned, he was lying down on the comfy grass, his eyes were closed and he looked just about ready for bed. Except he was wearing his day clothes, a green and black tunic with brown trousers.

"Yes! We do! Come on, Loki. Get up! You look very tired. We're you up all night practicing spells again?"

"No I wasn't! Fine, I'll play your stupid game." Loki got up gingerly, as he did so, an idea formed in his head.

"I've got an idea, lets play hide and seek!" Loki said, suddenly acting eager.

"Fine, but I hide first! And turning invisible is not allowed!" Thor agreed.

"Deal. Okay: one, two , three.." Loki recited. He listened to Thor as he ran off. Loki then turned around and saw a little speck of red entering the forest. Loki smiled. His plan worked perfectly. Thor always hid in trees whenever they played hide and seek, but he could never climb down without Loki's assistance. Loki sat back down on the grass and closed his eyes.

"Loki! Loki!" The faint cries woke Loki up. He rubbed his eyes and gazed up at the sky. It was getting dark. The sun was setting. Loki sighed and wondered how long he had been asleep. The faint cry broke his train of thoughts. Loki contemplated over the idea of leaving Thor in the forest overnight, but decided not to. Loki unwillingly got up and slowly walked into the woods, out of the field.

The woods were dark and scary. Tall trees cast an even darker shadow over Loki. Occasionally, he heard an animal cry, or a bird rustling some branches, but Loki could not hear Thor, or see him. Loki started shivering as he carefully trudged through the terrifying woods.

"Thor! Thor where are you?" Loki exclaimed feebly. He didn't want to shout loud in case he attracted some unwanted attention. Loki was becoming desperate, he could not find Thor anywhere. He sat down on a tree stump and tried to think, but foreboding thoughts entered his mind.

"What have I done?"

"What if I've lost Thor forever?"

"Or worse, what will father say?"

Loki held his head in his hands. Suddenly, he heard rustling up above him in a tree. Loki looked up and saw a familiar face.

"Thor!" Loki shouted with glee. Thor put a finger to his mouth, urging his little brother to be quiet. He then gestured for Loki to come up. Loki obliged and started climbing the tree, a bit apprehensive. When Loki made it to Thor, the scared boy whispered, "Bilge-Snipe."

"Where, I've not seen-"

"Shush!" Thor stage whispered and pointed down at two sleeping monstrosities. Loki went paler.

"What? But? How come they didn't hear me?"

"Well, maybe you were just lucky,"

"What do we do?" Asked Loki, desperately.

"Calm down. What would a warrior do. He would climb down and kill the abominations!" Thor thought as he was about to take action. Loki stopped him.

"Thor! Are you insane? You are not an Asgardian warrior! You cannot single-handedly take down two large Bilge-snipe!" Loki snapped, filled with worry. Thor ignored him and climbed down. Loki sighed and followed suite. He couldn't leave his brother to fight by himself no matter how much he resented it.

As Thor carefully climbed down he held onto a branch, looking down to see where he could put his feet. Thor, not being the brightest of children, didn't know that you should not hold onto a branch with no leaves. He soon realised that after when the branch snapped right off. Thor tried not to scream as he started to fall. Thinking fast, Thor grabbed Loki's trouser leg. Still a good twenty feet above the ground, Thor was terrified. Loki was too, but he wasn't dangling off a weak bit of fabric twenty feet above the ground.

"Loki, Loki, LOKI! Help! I don't like this!" Thor whispered intensely.

"Well what can I do? I can't perform spells when I'm clinging on for dear life!"

Thor looked down and then looked up, paler than ever with a face like a slapped puppy.

'Loki! Help! I think I'm going to be sick! I'm so scared I'm so scared! Helphelphelp!" Thor cried.

"Thor, listen! It's just adrenaline-" Loki felt his trouser leg rip. Thor instinctively grabbed onto Loki's Leg.

"No! Thor! NOT a good move! I need that!"

"What am I supposed to do? Let go and DIE? LokiLokiLoki! I don't feel well!" Thor cried. Loki's arms were getting tired. What were they going to do?

**Muahahahaha! Cliff hanger! What _are _they going to do? Thor is terrified! Poor thing! AAAnyway, review and leave suggestions... thanks! Especially to The Script Machine for your kind review. Your suggestion will be taken into account.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, I've kept you waiting long enough. **

Chapter 3

Loki had to think fast. What he did next would have impressed Odin himself. Looking down at the bilge snipe, then at the surrounding trees, Loki tried to calculate the relative distances.

"Thor, are there any branches surrounding you?"

"No!" Thor whimpered.

"Okay, Thor, I'm going to have to throw you onto another tree-"

"What? No!"

"Brother, you have to trust me! When I say let go, you let go and grab on to _that _branch, over there," Loki pointed at a thick branch on a tree opposite them.

"Okay, I'll do it,"

Loki nodded and swung his leg back. Thor held his breath as he was thrust through the air.

"Now, Thor, NOW!" Loki exclaimed. Thor cursed as he nearly missed the branch. Luckily, he managed to grab it just in time.

"THOR! You were meant to let go of my leg!" Loki pleaded. Thor was unaware that he was still clutching Loki's leg, stretching him out horizontal. Loki shook his head, irritated, and let go of the tree, causing him to swing down like a trapeze artist. Loki was now holding on to Thor. The bilge snipe had woken up, they were circling the tree.

'Geronimo." Loki said, too plainly.

"NO!" Thor exclaimed as Loki fell to the ground.

Loki hit the ground hard, flat on his front. The loud roar caused Loki to get up, despite the fact he was weakened. The mammoth creature faced Loki and roared yet again. The creature charged to Loki, flinging the boy into the air at a very fast speed. Loki collided with a tree and fell to the ground, winded amongst other things. Loki sat up and attempted to conjure a spell, nothing came. He was not experienced in magic, yet. But his teacher had told him he had potential. _Ponential!_ How was that going to help him now! Loki Looked around desperately, luckily, There was a thick branch- the one that had snapped off the tree earlier. Loki thrust the heavy tree branch onto the creature with as much force as he could give. The creature roared as he tried to get the branch off its antlers. Seizing the opportunity, Loki ran away from the surrounding bilge snipe and hid behind another tree. He peeked at the scene from his makeshift hiding place. The bilge snipe were still stunned. Thor jumped down and ran towards Loki. Thor collapsed onto the ground, panting.

'Thank...you...brother...you...saved...my...life.' He said in between breaths.

'No need to thank me,' Loki said, looking slightly proud of himself.

'You'd make a great king.' Thor admitted, smiling.

'Thanks,' Loki said, still smiling. Thor got up off the ground and pulled his brother into a close, warm hug.

'I know for sure that we came back this way-'

'We need to look for a gap-'

'We need to look for a river-'

The lost boys squabbled non stop. Loki had hurt himself, badly, but he tried his best not to show it. He had a gash on the back of his leg, that he prayed wasn't bleeding too badly, he had many bruises and cuts and he had injured his arm, it became more painful as the time went by.

'Do you hear that?' Thor asked.

'What?'

'The sound - sounds like running water.'

'A river?'

'This way!'

Loki followed Thor through the trees. The young price stopped at the edge and smiled.

'Hey, I know that river! That's the river that flows right by the castle. If we follow it we should be home in five minutes - or something like that.'

'Great idea, I've got your back.' Loki reassured as they followed the river. It didn't take long before they reached familiar ground.

'Hey look! There's the castle!' Thor shouted with glee. Loki smiled weakly. Thor ran off, eager to be home.

'Wait!' Called Loki. Thor stopped and his smile fell off his face.

'What is it brother? Were home now...'

'I'm hurt.' Loki admitted. Thor looked concerned.

'Where brother?'

'On the back of my leg. I regret not telling you earlier, as I feel dizzy, and faint.'

Thor examined the back of Loki's leg. Sure enough, Thor saw a deep cut, which was bleeding continuously.

'Loki...'

Loki looked like he was going to burst into tears.

'Would you like a lift?' Thor asked softly. Loki nodded.

'Hop on.' Thor commanded and Loki hopped onto Thor's back, to transport him to the castle.

'Mother! Father! Guards! Somebody! Please help!' Thor cried. He had reached the palace, just outside the doors when Loki had fell unconscious, the boy looked extremely pale, even more than normal, from loss of blood.

'Loki!' A concerned voice called out as the palace doors opened. Frigga emerged from the castle with guards at her side. She bent down and held Loki's pale hand.

'What happened, my son?' Thor stared, wide eyed. It was a shock to see his little brother is such a state.

'I... I'll tell you inside the castle, mother.'

'Okay. Guards, take Loki to the healing rooms.' Frigga commanded. The guards nodded and escorted Loki to the healing rooms. Frigga held Thor's hand and took him to the sitting room.

'...So then I let him off my back outside of the castle, and he fell! I thought he was dead!' Thor finished his story with a quiver in his voice. Frigga gave a reassuring smile.

'Will he be okay?' Thor asked in a quiet voice.

'Of course, my darling. You were very brave and noble, as was Loki. You had each other's backs. The most important thing in such situations.'

Thor looked up to his mother with big, watery blue eyes. Frigga gently caressed his blonde hair as he leaned in close to her. It wasn't before long that Thor fell asleep. Tired from the long day.

**Ugh. That was terrible. Review and everything else. Sorry for errors! Oh and sorry for being so late :(**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi, sorry it took so long. The site messed up as I was about to publish this thing so my whole chapter was deleted! :(. Here you go:**

Loki strolled down the corridor with a skip in his step. The young Prince was in a good mood. That was quite unusual. The day had gone quite smoothly for him and he had done well in his lessons. It was nearly dinnertime and Loki needed to get himself cleaned up. Normally, Loki hated to clean himself but today was different: Odin was planning a surprise for him, after his tremendous progress in his sorcery. Ever since the 'bilgesnipe' situation, Loki had started to take his magic seriously. For the past month he had improved vastly, and was able to best sorcerers much older than him. Loki had an enthusiasm for spells. He loved his teacher, Amora, too. She was always keen and friendly. Lately, Loki had begun seeing her in a different light; whenever he saw her his heart beat faster and his stomach churned. He did not know why though.

Practise made perfect. Loki knew that, so he practised his magic when he could, often annoying people around him. Since then he had been given the nickname 'Little Mischief Maker'. He didn't mind it, of course. In fact, Loki liked the title very much. After all, it was just a bit of fun.

Walking into his bedroom, Loki relaxed onto his bed. He had a relatively big room, with a balcony too. Lying down, Loki started to wonder what surprise his father had in store for him. It wasn't before long that he fell asleep.

'Loki? Are you ready? Mother want's us down for dinner at seven o' clock!'

'Damn!' Loki cursed as he jumped up. He had dozed off! It was becoming an occurrence.

'Umm... Yes, just... meet me down in five minutes!' Loki said as he rushed towards his bathroom, struggling to take his shirt off.

'Okay, bye.' Thor sounded suspicious.

Ten minutes later Loki rushed down the corridors, his clothes a mess and his black hair still soaking wet. He arrived, breathless, outside of the doors leading to the dining room.

'Brace yourself, Loki.' He said to himself as he pushed open the doors.

'You are late.' Came a voice from the table. Oh gods, his family were already tucking into their meal. Loki looked at his shiny leather boots, rather than exchanging eye contact with his possible angry parents. Thor took no notice of his brother; he was busy tucking into his food. Odin looked sternly upon Loki, then forgiving.

'I'm sorry I'm late.'

I forgive you, my son. I didn't want you missing your surprise.'

The boy's face lit up like a beam of sunlight. He ran to his father, emerald green eyes swimming with anticipation.

'What is my surprise, father?'

Odin smiled and nodded towards a guard. Another servant brought a large box in and handed it to Loki. The box was so big that little Loki struggled to support it; so he laid on the floor and took the lid off...

Thor looked up from his food. He didn't see what all the fuss was about. So what, Loki was given a gift. Why were Mother and Father paying attention to Loki and not him?

Loki stared at his first set of armour. The green and gold attire gleamed and shined. Next to the armour was his helmet: a magnificent, golden piece of clothing with two long horns radiating from the front.

'Wow! Can I try it on now, father?'

'Patience, my son. You can try it on in the tournament, tomorrow.'

Loki's mouth went dry.

'T-tournament?'

'Yes! Didn't Thor tell you?'

'No. No he didn't!' Loki said. Odin looked over at Thor, who looked up from his meal.

'Sorry...'

Frigga rolled her eyes.

'Loki, the National Asgardian Tournament is being held tomorrow. The biggest event of the year in which all warriors, magicians and gladiators alike, will be taking part.'

'May I be excused?' Asked Loki, who's heartbeat had risen dramatically.

'Don't you want to eat something?' Asked Thor.

'I'm fine.' Loki said as he left with his armour.

Loki was planning out his tactics. He had six hours left to prepare thanks to such short notice, not including sleep. Loki was a tactician, and often involved maths in his battles.

'Okay, one... two... tree... take quick turn, duck, cast spell, get up, run behind the opponent and strike with sword.' Loki directed himself. The boy visualised his opponent as he strafed around the bedroom, in his pyjamas.

'Loki, why are you rehearsing a battle, you look like your doing ballet, rather than combat!'

Loki sighed and turned round to find Thor sitting on his bed, eating a snack.

'Did I say you could come in?'

'No.' Thor shrugged.

'So get out. I am trying to concentrate, something your puny mind can't handle!'

'Calm down, moody!' Thor hopped off the bed and looked at Loki's written work.

'What's this?' Thor asked.

'Analytics and calculations.'

'Brother, only you can make combat boring!'

Loki growled and conjured a green flame, throwing it at Thor like a snowball.

'Oh damn!' Thor shouted as he ran out of the room.

'And don't come back!'

Loki returned to his work. It was becoming so late that Loki couldn't see the words on the page properly. Slamming his pencil onto the ground with annoyance, Loki cursed his body for needing rest. He was a powerful wizard boy, he shouldn't need sleep! Forfeiting, Loki collapsed onto his bed and slept like a log.

_'Time to die!' Said Thor with a menacing tone. Loki remained on the ground, unarmed and weak. Thor grabbed his sword and held it up to the sky. Cheers erupted across the arena. Throwing his hand out, Loki tried to perform a simple defensive spell but he couldn't conjure it for an unknown reason._

_'Ha! You are weak, Loki! You are second best and always will be! I will be king! I will be Asgard's tope warrior! You, my brother, will be off to Valhalla shortly.' _

_Loki tried to move but he was rooted to the ground. Thor brought the sword to the earth next to him, which started to crumble._

_'Now look what you've done, Loki! You've ruined it!'_

_'B-but that wasn't me!' Loki cried, feeling warm tears cloud his vision._

_'It's always your fault, Loki! You are a disgrace!'_

_'The crowd started cheering, 'Die, die die!'_

_'Stop! HELP ME! HELP ME!' Loki wailed. The ground underneath him crumbled and he slipped into a dark abyss..._

'Loki! Wake up!'

Thor looked over his little brother, who was stirring in his sleep. He appeared to be distressed. Suddenly, he shot up, panting.

'Brother! What's wrong?'

Loki frightfully stared at his brother, wide eyed with shock.

'D-don't h...hurt me!'

Thor shook his head.

'You were dreaming. I would never dare to hurt you!'

'NO! You held up your sword and threatened to kill me, calling me worthless-'

'Brother, be quiet, you were calling out in your sleep. I thought you were in danger!'

Loki gazed into his brothers blue eyes.

'It was so vivid...'

Thor pulled him into a warm hug. Thor could feel hot tears on his shirt. Loki was clearly scared and frightened.

'Brother. I swear I will never let anything, including myself, harm you. Is that understood?'

Loki nodded, his head buried into Thor's chest. Thor pulled his sweaty, teary-eyed brother in tighter.

'I could never ask for a better brother.'

**Yeah. That was crap. But hey, it was fun to write. Review! These chapters are generally short and sweet because they need not be long. I love the bond between Thor and Loki. I hope Thor 2 will revolve around the bond too. I love it how no matter how much they always call each other 'brother'. Like, 'I hate you, BROTHER.'. Anyway, until the next time, cheerio!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi! Chapter 5! I'm in a mood to draw Loki with his armour on in the tournament. I'll let ya know if I do. I like the idea of Loki being small yet powerful, along with putting a lot of work into his fights, examining his opponent carefully, rather than Thor who beats up what he can. Enjoy! Sorry in advance for errors!**

'Showtime.' Loki said cooly, placing his helmet on his head. Looking in the mirror, Loki found he had a much more powerful presence with his armour on. Not only a physical presence, but also his magic seemed to be flowing at a faster rate through his veins, his aura pulsing with puissance. It seems his methods had sunk into his head overnight, along with spells. He was allowed one weapon. Loki decided on a small dagger that he kept in his utility belt; it was all he needed.

'Loki! It's time to go!' Thor shouted from behind the door.

'Come in, I need to show you something.' Loki smiled. He loved showing off in front of his brother. Sadly, he couldn't do it often as his brother was usually the 'favourite'.Thor entered the room, looking perplexed.

'What is it, brother?'

'Take a look at _this.'_

Loki emerged from behind the wall, looking proud. He stopped when he realised Thor wasn't paying attention.

'Brother, look! I'm wearing my armour!'

'Oh, right. On a different subject, do you want to see my weapon?'

Thor bent down and lifted up his weapon with no force.

'What on Asgard it that?'

'It's called _Mjolnir, _thank you very much.'

'You gave your weapon a name?' Loki burst out laughing that very moment.

'My dagger is called 'Sharp', This horn is called 'Very Sharp' and this other horn is called 'Even Sharper'!' Loki managed to say between fits of laughter. Annoyed, Thor threw his hammer at his younger brother, causing him to fly across the room, smashing into the wall. Thor held out his hand and the hammer returned. Leaving his bewildered brother behind, Thor stormed out of the room.

Loki breathed heavily, luckily, his armour had protected him, bit he needed to make slight adjustments to his strategy.

'Right... Okay... Let's just hope I don't have to fight him.'

Shaking, Loki got up and slowly walked out of the room. In the hallway he found his mother, who was tending to a painting which had been knocked down. Using a levitation spell, the queen placed the painting on the wall effortlessly.

'Mother, why does Thor have such a powerful weapon, is that allowed?'

Frigga turned round to look at her son.

'Darling, you look wonderful! I hope your armour channels your magic properly. As for Thor's hammer, well, that was not my choice. It was your father's choice.'

'But Thor will beat everyone, for sure! And aren't adults only allowed weapons like that? Thor's very destructive!'

'I know, Loki. He's certainly done some damage to the hallways. But his hammer is not the most powerful weapon he shall ever receive. It is a much weaker version of the one he will own as an adult.'

'I need to stop him from advancing in the tournament! Who am I playing in the first round?'

'I don't think it's Thor, but I can make some adjustments, only for the fairness of the tournament.'

'Thank you, Mother, you can count on me! I have calculated Thor's movements! Slow and clumsy.'

'Loki!'

'Ehehe! Sorry!' Loki ran off down the corridor, bold yet cunning, certainly ready for battle.

Meeting Thor in the castle entrance, Loki grinned mischievously.

'Are you ready, dear brother?'

'Yes.' Thor said, eyeing him suspiciously.

Loki turned to look at him quizzically.

'Brother, if you have to challenge me, will go go easy - or beat the snot out of me?'

Thor thought, then said, 'When we enter that ring, we are no longer brothers. I will fight you like a fair warrior. So yes, I will beat the snot out of you.'

'Great.' Loki grinned. He knew just what to do.

'So... Are we just going to stand here, or...' Thor played with his hammer. Loki shrugged and pushed open the entrance doors.

'I think we are to go outside, by the looks of it.'

'Agreed.'

In the courtyard was a chariot that was seemingly waiting for them. Two black horses neither and whinnied at the front whilst one of the guards stood at the front, dressed in royal armour. Thor and Loki had never seen this particular guard before. Cautiously, the boys approached the golden chariot.

'Excuse me, is that for us?' Thor announced in his loud, obnoxious tone. The guard turned around and smiled.

'Yes. I am Skirnir. I shall be escorting you to the arena. Your parents will already be approaching the arena as we speak.'

'Hello, Skirnir!' Loki said in a friendly voice as he hopped onto the chariot. He tried his best to mask his nerves. Thor had entered to tournament two years ago, when he was Loki's age; he didn't make it very far. But this was Loki's first time in this particular tournament, and judging by the formality of it all, it was Loki's biggest tournament yet.

'Nervous, Cow?'

'No! And why the stupid nickname?'

'You have horns, so you're a cow.'

Loki groaned at his stupidity and immaturity. They soon approached the arena in no time. Loki observed the massive building. The arena cast a portentous shadow over the chariot, looking down at the approaching intruders, deciding their predetermination.

Taking a deep breath, Loki jumped out of the chariot as it came to a hot. Thor quickly followed. They greeted Skirnir goodbye and cautiously walked to the entrance.

'Now what do we do?' Thor asked, fidgeting with his tunic. Nobody knew how much Thor resented clothing. If weren't for his mother he would take no shame in walking around naked. Loki, on the other hand, liked clothes. Though he didn't admit it to it.

'I suggest we head through that tunnel.' Loki gestured towards a tunnel that most likely headed into the interior of the building.

'Good idea.'

The brothers walked together through the tunnel, both hoping it was the right way to go; and that they weren't going to end up in the middle of something that wasn't to do with them. Thor strained his eyes to see what was going on inside the arena.

'I see many people, and I can hear cheering. I think we are heading the right way.'

'Good. In that case, let's run.' Loki stated, sprinting towards the end of the tunnel, eager to get out of the enclosed space. Thor rolled his eyes and ran after his younger brother.

Thor and Loki walked into the arena. Many warriors of all ages were on the grounds, practising their moves and getting ready. People were taking their seats. In on area was a notice board, with the arrangements and fixtures written on it.

'Thor, this way!' Loki called to Thor.

'We need to know who we're playing.' Loki said seriously as they approached the board. There were three leagues: the nine to eighteen (thousand) league, the nineteen to twenty seven (thousand) league, and the above twenty seven (thousand - though you've probably deduced that by now) league.

'Looks like you're one of the youngest, Loki.'

'Ah, age is just a number, dear brother.'

'So I'm playing... You first?' Thor gasped as he looked at the tables. Loki inwardly cheered.

'I suppose so...'

'But that's not fair! We're brothers! We can't play each other!'

'Brother I distinctly remember you saying that "when we enter the ring, we are no longer brothers". Am I correct in saying that?'

'Fine.' Thor grumbled. Loki didn't know whether Thor was being affectionate or just didn't want to humiliate himself by losing to his younger brother

'Hey look! It's mother and father!' Thor exclaimed. Odin and Frigga took their places in their royal thrones.

'Let's go and say hello,' Loki and Thor ran up the stairs to where their parents were sitting.

'Hello mother, hello father!' Thor and Loki stood beside their parents, both looked eager and bouncy. Odin smiled at his sons.

'Are you ready for battle, my boys?'

'Yes father! I am going to win for sure!' Thor boasted.

'You're so modest, brother!' Loki said sarcastically.

'Shut up, brother!'

'Loki's right, Thor. Arrogance is not the key to victory. Keep that in mind and good luck.' Odin lectured.

'Okay, father.' Thor sighed.

'Good luck, children. The event will be starting soon. I would take your places downstairs if I were you.' Frigga said.

'Okay mother!'

'Bye!'

'Wave to me!'

**Ehehehehe! Cliff hanger for you! I am prone to leave cliff hangers. Yeah, sorry, not much went on in this chapter. I just assumed that 1 human year is 1,000 Asgardian years... So yeah. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Heyy! I'm kinda focusing on this story for a while so my other stories won't be updated frequently, sorry :(. Hope this makes up for it though! Thanks to Bed for providing me a comfortable seat whilst writing and thanks to Fun. for providing musical accompaniment. **

The fanfare of trumpets filled the arena, making Loki and Thor jump. Both boys ran to their seats at the bottom of the arena and waited patiently, Thor fiddling with his hammer again to help calm nerves presumably. Loki sat looking forward, his eyes transfixed on a certain point. The warnings and instructions were read out. Loki cringed at the final words,

'The tournament will now begin!'

'I'm going home. I am done with all this.' Loki said abruptly and got up. Thor grabbed his arm.

'Sit, brother. Don't let nerves and pressure overcome your mind.'

Loki gave a shaky sigh a he sat back down. Thor squeezed his brother's pale hand.

'I'll go easy on you!'

Loki half smiled at his brother's jest. Thor was an okay brother. He almost felt bad about having to kick him out of the tournament in the first round.

'Thor and Loki Odinson. Please enter the battle grounds.' The announcer said. Loki swallowed harshly as he made his way down to the grounds.

'I am so excited!' Thor bellowed. Loki took deep breaths.

'Oh great, he's become headstrong!'Loki muttered to himself.

Thor stood opposite Loki, thirsty for battle. He gripped Mjolnir tightly and licked his lips.

'Ready, Loki?'

'Ready as I'll ever be!' Yes! Loki could feel it. He could feel it bubbling up inside him. The fire. The impulse. The magic.

The umpire blew the horn, signalling the start of the battle. All the tactics that Loki had calculated came to mind. Predicting Thor's first move, Loki ducked as he swung his hammer at the young, mischievous prince. Thor overbalanced and nearly fell. Recovering himself, Loki used this to his advantage and shot a stunning spell, causing Thor to be propelled far back into the corner of the ground. Cheers erupted from around the arena.

Thor was angry. How dare his little brother best him in combat! growling, he picked up his hammer, which was laying next to him on the dusty floor, and threw it with all his might. Of course Loki saw this, but the hammer moved quickly. Unfortunately, the hammer managed to bash Loki on the head, knocking him down.

Pain erupted like a volcano from Loki's temple. The blow had knocked his helmet off, revealing his raven black hair - which was sticking out in all funny directions. As much as he tried, Loki couldn't get up. The pain was excruciating, as well as the swarm of dizziness. Loki forced his eyelids open, ignoring the black spots surrounding his vision. There was nothing else Loki could do. But since when did the ambitious sorcerer quit so soon?

'Brother! Help! I'm hurt!' Loki cried. Thor swore internally. He had thrown his hammer with too much venom. He knocked his brother in the head. Panting, Thor looked at the crowds. A tense silence. Nobody said a word. Not even his mother and father. Thor instantaneously ran to his brother.

'Thor,' Loki gasped. Thor knelt down over his brother. Loki inwardly smiled. He was able to pull one more trick before he passed out.

'D-do you need a healer?' Thor said frantically. Loki winced as he smiled. Suddenly, the crowd gasped.

'What?' He called out disapprovingly, expecting an answer. Thor felt a light touch on his shoulder.

'Ah, thank you! I didn't mean it! He's in pain! Heal him!' Thor said without turning around to look at the person behind him.

'I am not a healer, presumptuous brother.'

Loki wrestled his brother to the ground. Thor remained on his back, dumbstruck and defenceless. Ignoring the throbbing pain radiating from his temple, Loki held out his dagger, gripping it before Thor's body to indicate the winning opponent. Finally, the horn blew. Loki nearly collapsed onto the hard floor. Again, the cheers were heard and Thor supported Loki as they walked off the grounds.

'How did you do that?' Thor asked.

'What?' Loki asked tiredly.

'Replicating yourself.'

'Oh. I've been practicing it for ages now. I've finally perfected it.'

'You are definitely going to be the God of Mischief when you're older.'

'Thanks... I think.'

Loki decided to take a brake from the tournament, besides, he didn't have any matches until the later rounds. Thor wanted to stay below and watch the fights on the warrior's seats. So Loki walked up the stair alone, sometimes receiving concerned looks from members of the audience. After what felt like a twenty mile hike up the mountains of Vanaheim, Loki finally reached his parents.

Holding on to a post for support, Loki peered at his parents. They hadn't noticed him. They were too busy watching the arena, probably looking for him. Frigga looked concerned whilst Odin looked outraged.

'Mother!' Loki cried, pain overcoming him. He fell to the ground.

Frigga rushed over to him, her face full of concern. Odin followed.

'Loki! Odin, summon a healer.'

Frigga. The only person who could boss the King of Asgard around. A few minutes later a healer rushed to wounded prince. By which time Loki had regained consciousness, but was in a daze. Loki also had a large lump on the side of his head.

'Well, Loki has hit on the head. Hard. Due to his powers, he should be better in less than a day. I can give you a potion to speed up the process.'

'Yes please.'

The healer nodded and rooted around his satchel.

'Aha!' He said as he pulled out vile of clear liquid. He handed it to the prince, who was now sat up.

'Drink this, Loki, you'll be better in no time! Oh, you may be a bit tired later!' He winked at Loki, who in return smiled and unscrewed the cap. Slowly, he drunk the liquid.

'It tastes like strawberries!' Loki licked his lips and started to feel better already. The healer smiled and got up.

'If you should require my presence, I will be downstairs, in the warrior's seating. Good bye Loki!'

'Bye! He's nice.' Loki commented and yawned.

'He said tiredness is a side-effect. He's not wrong. Can I sit with you, mother?'

'Of course.'

'It was wrong of Thor to commit such a deed.' Odin said.

'Oh, really?' Frigga rolled her eyes.

'I shall have words with him later. Loki?'

'Yes, father?'

'You don't have to take part in this if you don't want to.'

'I'm sure I'll be fine after some rest, father.'

'Okay, my son.'

Loki dozed off resting on his mother, lightly snoring.

'Loki...'

'Loki!'

'Huh... What?' Loki rubbed his eyes and hopped off his seat. It was his parents who'd woken him.

'How are you feeling?'

'Perfect!' Loki smiled at the absence of his headache.

'Are you up for a duel?'

'Yes! Yes! Yes! Have I missed any of my fights?'

'No.'

'Yes!' Loki could hardly contain his glee.

'Can I go down then?'

'Of course, my son.'

Odin barely finished his sentence when Loki rushed down the stairs. He observed the benches for Thor. Loki saw his bright red tunic. Thor was sitting with two of his friends, Sif and Fandral.

'Thor!' Loki ran to his brother.

'Loki! Here! I saved you a space!'

'Thank you.' Loki took his seat between Sif and Thor.

'How are you, Loki?' Asked Sif.

'Not bad. A lot better. It _hurt!_'

'I bet it did!' Sif said, scowling at Thor.

'Hey, I said sorry!'

'I know. But, still! He's _adorable!'_

Loki rolled his eyes. As nice as she was, Sif thought he was 'cute'. Okay, maybe she was right - but Loki hated it!

'So who's left?'

'Well, me, Sif and the other two. A couple of brutes and a few skinny fourteen (thousand, for those stupid mortals reading this)-year-olds.' Fandral replied.

'Wow. I was up there for a long time!'

'Loki, you're up!' Thor interrupted.

'Oh, okay,' Loki got up uncertainly and headed towards the grounds.

'Wait!'

Loki turned around, perplexed. Thor produced a golden helmet from behind.

'You forgot this.'

Loki smiled and thanked Thor as he took the helmet from him.

'It's only you and me, Mr Hornsworth. Let's do it for that nice healer.'

Maybe naming inanimate objects wasn't a bad idea.


End file.
